Addiction Medicine Track

Our goal is to train leaders in the field of Infectious Diseases as it intersects with Addiction Medicine, through structured clinical experiences, didactic education, and scholarly projects. The dramatic rise in substance use and related infections - including HIV, hepatitis C, endocarditis, and soft tissue infections - has created an urgent need for specialists who can provide integrated care addressing both infectious diseases and addiction. UCSF is a leader in both Infectious Diseases and Addiction Medicine, making UCSF an ideal environment for training in this emerging specialty intersection. We aim to prepare fellows to deliver evidence-based addiction care alongside comprehensive infectious disease management to transform care delivery for this vulnerable population. Please note that only individuals completing an ACGME Addiction Medicine fellowship (not this track alone) are eligible for Addiction Medicine board-certification as of 2026.

The Addiction Medicine Track can be done as part of the 2-year Clinician Educator Track or the 3-year Research Track, depending on fellow interests and goals. The following elements are key track components for the upper years of ID Fellowship, though each fellow would develop tailored plans to support individual career goals:

  • Fellows in the Clinician Educator Track will rotate through core addiction medicine and ID clinical rotations and multiple ID and addiction medicine elective opportunities while pursuing a scholarly project that may include ID-Addiction Medicine curriculum development, quality improvement projects, or clinical research at the intersection of infectious diseases and addiction medicine.
  • Fellows in the Research Track will pursue the same clinical training over a longer timeframe while completing a mentored research project focused on innovative approaches to the treatment of infectious complications of substance use disorders. Fellows in the research track may pursue additional training in research methodology, if desired.

Formal Coursework

  • Select sessions of Addiction Medicine fellowship orientation (July)
  • Addiction Medicine Case Conference (bi-monthly)
  • Ward 86 HIV Pre-clinic Conference (weekly)
  • Inter-institutional ID-ADM Fellow Journal Club (quarterly)

Core Clinical Experiences in Addiction Medicine

  • Addiction Care Team (SFGH): 4-6 weeks providing addiction medicine consultation for hospitalized patients with substance use disorders, gaining proficiency in buprenorphine, methadone starts/titration for OUD; management of stimulant use disorder, alcohol use disorder; harm reduction counseling and distribution of safer use supplies.
  • Ward 86 Fellows Clinic: Weekly HIV primary care at SFGH with a focus on patients with substance use disorders
  • Whole Person Integrated Care: Monthly clinics at MXM (low-barrier care for people experiencing homelessness with SUDs) and Syringe Access sites, focused on general ID (including harm reduction antibiotic use), HIV prevention and treatment in a Street Medicine context.

Additional Elective Experiences

  • OBIC (buprenorphine clinic)
  • Family Health Center Bridge Clinic (low-barrier post-hospital discharge clinic)
  • Ward 93 (methadone clinic)
     

Scholarly Work
Fellows will participate in a mentored scholarly project at the intersection of addiction medicine and infectious diseases. Projects may include:

  • Quality improvement initiatives to enhance infectious disease outcomes in patients with SUDs
  • Curricular development for medical trainees on the intersection of ID and addiction medicine
  • Development of integrated care models for patients with SUDs and infectious complications
  • Clinical research on prevention or treatment of infections among people who use drugs

Career Development

  • Mentoring meetings for scholarly projects
  • Opportunity to attend key conferences (including AMERSA, IDWeek, CROI)
  • Fellow Immersion Training (FIT) Program in Addiction Medicine run by BU School of Medicine: Clinical Addiction Research & Education (CARE) Unit
  • Health Professions Education Pathway (optional for education-focused fellows)
     

Through this immersive training, fellows will develop dual clinical competency in managing substance use disorders and their associated infections, enabling them to provide integrated, evidence-based care that incorporates both ID expertise and addiction medicine principles.

 

Track Director:

Ayesha Appa, MD
Ayesha Appa, MD